What meat? Are you browning the meat beforehand? It helps if you don't. If you brown it first, that seems to dry it out. Or if the meat is too lean. You need a bit of fat in there too if you're slow cooking it

Slow cooker too hot, maybe? Not an expert, but I've read that excessive heat will drive the moisture out of the meat, irrespective of whether it's in liquid or not. Lower and longer works better for me, depending on the cut.

There is beef and beef. If you use some of the traditional breeds, gras fed, killed at 30 months and hung well you will have a better eating experience than a grain fed lean, continental breed killed at 18 months. Supermarket buying is pot luck and you are as likely to get the one as the other.

The difference is most noticeable in the more marginal cuts, whereas the pure muscle joints like filet will not show quite as much difference. My favourite meal from our own Ruby Red Devon beef is shin. The longer you cook it the better it gets.

welshfarmer - I'm guessing from the name you know a thing or two about this subject. Can I just buy shin from any butcher (we're lucky to have a couple of good ones locally)? And do you just cook it as you would with any other beef dish? My favourite slow cooker beef recipe with beef is braised beef goulash with smoked pimenton.html. Any other recommendations for shin beef?